About The Song
Background
- The song was originally written and performed by singer-songwriter Steve Goodman on his 1971 self-titled debut album.
- David Allan Coe later popularized the song with his rendition on his 1975 album “Once Upon a Rhyme.” It was his third single release.
- There’s a famous anecdote about the song. Coe reportedly told Goodman it wasn’t a perfect country song because it lacked the typical elements like mentions of trains, trucks, or drinking. Goodman responded by writing an additional verse that Coe included in his version.
Themes
- The song explores themes of loneliness and feeling unseen in a relationship.
- The narrator feels like they’re just another face in the crowd to their lover, not a valued individual.
- It touches on the desire for intimacy and recognition in a relationship.
Lyrics
The lyrics are simple but effective in conveying the themes. Here’s a sample:
- “Well, I met you at a crowded bar, the smoke was hangin’ low”
- “We talked for hours in the dark, and watched the people go”
- “But you don’t have to call me darling, darling, he never even called me by my name”
The repeated line “He never even called me by my name” emphasizes the feeling of insignificance and a lack of connection.
Video
Lyric
Let’s sing along with the lyrics!
Well, it was allThat I could do to keep from crying’Sometimes it seemed so useless to remainBut you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’You never even called me by my name
You don’t have to call me Waylon JenningsAnd you don’t have to call me Charlie PrideAnd you don’t have to call me Merle Haggard anymoreEven though you’re on my fighting’ side
And I’ll hang around as long as you will let meAnd I never minded standing’ in the rainBut you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’You never even called me by my name
Well, I’ve heard my nameA few times in your phone book (hello, hello)And I’ve seen it on signs where I’ve playedBut the only time I knowI’ll hear “David Allan Coe”Is when Jesus has his final judgment day
So I’ll hang around as long as you will let meAnd I never minded standing’ in the rainBut you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’You never even called me by my name
Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that songAnd he told me it was the perfect country & western songI wrote him back a letter and I told him it was not the perfect country & western songBecause he hadn’t said anything at all about mamaOr trains, or trucks, or prison, or getting’ drunkWell, he sat down and wrote another verse to the song and he sent it to meAnd after reading it I realized that my friend had written the perfect country & western songAnd I felt obliged to include it on this albumThe last verse goes like this here
Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prisonAnd I went to pick her up in the rainBut before I could get to the station in my pickup truckShe got run over by a damned old train
And I’ll hang around as long as you will let meAnd I never minded standing’ in the rain, noBut you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’You never even called meWell, I wonder why you don’t call meWhy don’t you ever call me by my name